Automatic firearm utilizing a spring for reloading



Aug. 28, 1962 H. VOGLER ETAL 3,050,892

AUTOMATIC FIREARM UTILIZING A SPRING FOR RELOADING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1959 3 mm 1 I Q & I m RH; a I III. 1 W RI I 1| H1R\\\ QN m M L l 1 I l f l I I l l I I l l I l l I I w H I'll. I! H II In 1 RN A E m M m m E 3 v N: AN m 2 AUTOMATIC FIREARM UTILIZING A SPRING FOR RELOADING Filed March 18, 1959 Aug. 28, 1962 H. VOGLER ETAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,li50,892 AUTOMATIC FIREARM UTKLHZING A SPRING FUR RELOADEQG Heinrich Vogier, Eggstrasse 32, Oberengstringen, near Zurich, Switzerland, and Heinz Krausser, Orleansstrasse 31, Munich, Germany Filed Mar. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 890,148 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 21, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 42-5) The invention relates to firearms, and relates more particularly to automatic firearms, for use in firing'a series of shots in rapid succession with cartridges of small recoil force.

In firearms for short distance firing, for instance for short distance target practice, there is usually used as ammunition a type cartridge that has but an inferior firing power which, though sufiicient for accuracy in striking the target, has only a small recoil force. The recoil force in such firearms is, in fact, too small to utilize it for automatic reloading for firing a series of shots in rapid succession. These firearms are therefore customarily reloaded by hand.

It is among the principal objects of the invention to provide for automatically reloading firearms for use with cartridges of small recoil force. It is another object of the invention to provide for such firearms that will operate fully automatically and will detonate in rapid succession one cartridge after the other until the magazine is empty without, however, utilizing any recoil force of preceding shots.

Generally speaking, this is accomplished by providing the firearm with a spring that is self-activated for reloading and inactivated at all other times.

It is accordingly a further object of the invention to provide for such firearms that are simple in construction, exceedingly simple to use, and that utilize the stored spring energy'economically. It is still another object of the invention to provide for such firearms that dispense with the use of gases of any type for the reloading, and that require but little space resulting in firearms of small size. It is a still further object of the invention to provide for such firearms in which most of the parts essentially are co-axially arranged, and which will operate reliably as the parts are so constructed and positioned as to rule out substantially any malfunctioning or non-functioning.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, certain embodiments of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary large scale sectional view of the firing and loading mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an underside view thereof; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the forward portion of the firearm embodying a modification.

In carrying the invention into effect in one of the embodiments which has been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in this specification, and referring now particularly to FIGS. land 2, the firearm comprises a stock 35 (shown in broken lines in the drawing) on which there is mounted a hollow casing 27 (see Fig. 3). Inside the casing 27 there is disposed a rotor 1 which is capable ofrotation, but held immovable against shifting axially of the casing. A spiral spring 2, which acts as a spring, is mounted in a stationary housing 3. The spring 2 surrounds a holder 2a. The said I snsassz Patented Aug. 28, 1-962 "ice holder 2a for the spring 2 and the rotor 1 are mounted on a shaft 9 for rotation therewith. In order to assure rotation with the shaft, the shaft 9 is preferably provided with a non-circular profile, for instance a polygonal such as a hexagon cross-section, and the said holder for the spring 2 andthe rotor ll define on their interiors matching cross sections with which they are mounted on the shaft slidably relative to the shaft but tied thereto for rotation therewith.

In addition to the foregoing rotating parts, there is also a group of parts including the casing which are non-rotatable; these parts are a front plate 7 disposed in the forward portion of the casing, a sliding member 4 that is disposed between the front plate 7 and the spring housing 3- itself. These non-rotatable parts, namely the front plate 7, the sliding member 4, and the spring housing 3 are mounted on mounting means such as two rails 6 (FIG. 2). The housing 3 is furthermore secured to the casing by means of a threaded positioning pin (FIG. 1).

The sliding member 4. includes a sleeve 16 and is movable between a forward firing position (shown in FIG. 1) and a rearward cocking position, sliding between these positions on the rails e. Resilient means such as a helical spring 5 urges the sliding member 4 forwardly into the firing position.

In advance of the front plate 7 there is mounted on the shaft 9 for rotation therewith though slidable thereagainst, a drum type cartridge magazine 8 that carries cartridges 24. The drum magazine 3 is also shaped internally like the holder 2a for the spring 2 and the rotor l, for rotation with the shaft 9, so that when the shaft 9 rotates there will also rotate the holder for the spring 2, the rotor l, and the drum magazine 3.

The shaft 9 may be pulled out rearwardly, and by pulling the shaft 9 for at least a certain distance, it will free the drum magazine 8 permitting exchange of magazines through an open window formed in the casing. At the rear end, a handle or knob 16 is mounted on the shaft 9 outside of the casing, for manipulating the shaft 9. The handle 10 is used, for instance, to pull out the shaft 9 and to push it back into position, as Well as to turn the shaft by hand for winding the spring motor 2.

The rotor 1 carries at its forward end a series of sprockets or detents 11, and an engaging element such as a pin 13 engages one of said detents whenever the sliding memher 4 is retracted from the forward firing position. pin 13 is axially movably disposed in the plate 7 and is biased by a spring 12 to project rearwardly into engagement with a detent 11.. A portion of the pin 13 projects into the path of the front face 17 of the sliding member 4 to be engaged and be pushed forwardly thereby during the forward movement of the sliding member 4 to the firing position, so that in the firing position of the sliding memher 4 the pin 13 will be disengaged from all the detents 11. The pin 13 and the detents 11 form a releasable locking means for the rotor 1.

When the pin 13 engages a detent, the rotor 1 cannot rotate. When the pin 13 is out-of-engagement with any of the detents 11, however, the spring 2 will, by means of transmission of the shaft 9', cause rotation of the rotor 1 until the pin 13 engages one of the detents 11, bringing the rotation to a halt.

The rotor 1 is provided on its exterior with one or more cam surfaces 14, for instance a series of spiral cam surfaces 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The sliding member 4 has a corresponding and matching internal cam surface or spiral cam surfaces 15, and the cam surfaces 15 of the sliding member 4 engage the cam surfaces 14 of the rotor 1.

On the underside of the sliding member 4 there is provided a projection 20 that is engaged releasably in the cocking position by a sear 21 which forms part of a tiltable latch 22 of a latching means for the sliding member 4.

The

A trigger means is provided, including a trigger 23 and linkage associated therewith, operable to release the sear 21 so that the sear 21 will be pushed out of the way by the projection 20 under the force of the spring 5, following which the spring 5 which extends between the housing 3 and the sliding member 4 will propel the sliding member 4- into the firing position.

A firing pin 18 is axially movably disposed in the plate 7. It is biased by a spring 19 to project rearwardly into the path of the sliding member 4. The forward end of the firing pin 18 is in register with the detonating area of the cartridge 24, so that impact actuation between the firing pin 18 and the cartridge 24- will cause detonation of the cartridge 24 and propulsion of the bullet through the barrel that is mounted in alignment with the active cartridge bore of the drum magazine 8. in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1, the active cartridge bore is that disposed momentarily topmost.

The operation of the above described embodiment is as follows:

The operator will first withdraw the shaft 9 for a distance, by applying pulling force to the knob 10, and will insert a fresh magazine 8 containing a series of cartridges 24. The operator will then push forwardly the shaft 9 to engage the magazine 8. The sliding member 4- will be held in its cocking position by the projection 21. Operation of the trigger 23 will allow the projection 25} to push out of the way the sear 21, and the spring 5 will propel the sliding member 4 forwardly into the firing position. The front face 17 of the sliding member 4 during this movement will make impact with the firing bolt 18 and will actuate it to move forwardly to detonate the cartridge 24. The front face 17 of the sliding member 4 will furthermore make impact with the pin 13 dislodging it from its engagement with a detent 11 of the rotor ll. Thereupon, the rotor 1 will rotate under the impulse of the spring 2 by means of the shaft 9, until the pin 13 after rotation of the rotor 1 through a predetermined angle will engage the next succeeding detent 11.

During this rotation, the interaction of the cam surfaces Hand 15 will cause a rearward movement of the.

sliding member 4 from the firing position to the cocking position. By this rearward movement, the sliding member 4 will release the pin 13 for engagement with the next succeeding detent 11 of the rotor 1, and will release the firing pin 18 to project again rearwardly. In the cocking position, the sear 21 will again engage the projection 20, making the firearm ready for the next shot unless the operator keeps the trigger 23 pulled, in which event automatic firing continues until the drum 2; is exhausted of cartridges. When the operator keeps the trigger 23 pulled, the cams 14 and 15 will retract the sliding member 4 to the cocking position at each firing of a cartridge, but the projection 20 will depress the sear 21 and move forward again following each retraction and automatically without pause, as the trigger 23 when pulled pushes out of the way of the tiltable latch 22 the linkage which normally restrains the tilting of the latch 22.

During the rotation of the rotor 1 throughout said predetermined angle as delimited by the spacing of the detents 11 on the rotor 1, there will be turned for the same predetermined angle the drum 8. The predetermined angle is so arranged that not only will the sliding member 4 be retracted to the cocking position, but also the next cartridge will be aligned with the barrel and with the firing pin 18.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the firing pin 18, the active bore of the drum 8, and the barrel are aligned in a position disposed above the shaft 9. In contrast thereto, the arrangement of FIG. 3 provides instead for alignment of these parts below the shaft 9'. In that modification, there is provided a barrel 25 held interchangeably within a tubular body 26.

The tubular body 26 has a forward end 28 that carries with the upper edge of the casing 27 and which may carry a sight 33.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what We claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In an automatic firearm, in combination, a stock, a loading and firing mechanism supported by said stock, a barrel disposed forwardly of said stock, said mechanism comprising a casing, a plate closing the forward end of said casing and defining with the rear end of said barrel a space open on top, a shaft journalled for rotation in said casing, a drum coaxially mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith and having cartridge receiving bores parallel of the axis of the shaft and drum, said drum being disposed in said space, said shaft being shiftable axially oppositely between a normal position wherein its forward end projects into said space and engages said drum and, respectively, a retracted position wherein the forward shaft end is retracted from the space and releases the drum to be lifted out, a rotor mounted inside said casing coaxially on said shaft and being rotatable therewith and restrained from movement axially of said shaft and having a cam surface, a spring connected to said shaft and operable to rotate said shaft, a sliding member disposed coaxially of the shaft axis and being axially slidable in said casing between a forward firing position and a rearward cocking position and being restrained from rotating and having a cam follower surface engaging the cam surface of said rotor, said rotor being operable thereby to move said sliding member into the cocking position when said rotor is rotated by the shaft, resilient means in said casing urging said sliding member into the firing position, releasable latching means operable to latch said sliding member releasably in the cooking position, trigger means operable to release said latching means, firing means adapted to detonate a cartridge in a drum bore when said sliding member during forward propulsion reaches the firing position, and releasable locking means inactive when said sliding member is in the firing position and active in all other positions of said sliding member to limit the rotation of said rotor to a predetermined angle to turn thereby the drum to the next cartridge, said firing means including a firing pin, said rotor including detents, said releasable locking means including a locking element operable to engage a detent of the rotor, said firing pin and element being movable axially of said shaft and normally disposed in the path of said sliding member adjacent the firing position thereof for impact actuation thereby when said sliding member is propelled from the cocking position into the firing position, whereby in the firing position of said sliding member said locking means will be rendered inactive and said firing means will be activated.

2. In an automatic firearm, as claimed in claim 1, said shaft having a non-circular external cross section, said rotor having a matching non-circular internal cross section, a holder for said spring having a matching internal cross section and being mounted on said shaft and operable to transmit the power of said spring to said shaft for rotation thereof, said shaft having a projection extending rearwardly of said casing, and a handle mounted on said projection for manual rotation of said shaft to wind said spring.

, 3. In an automatic firearm, as claimed in claim 1, said latching means comprising a projection formed on said sliding member a sear releasably engaging said projection in the cocking position of said sliding member, said trigger means being operable to allow said projection to push said sear out of the path of said projection of said sliding member for releasing said sliding member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Franks Mar. 22, 1881 Nygren Jan. 18, 1898 Brzostwski et al Nov. 12, 1918 Coenders Mar. 25, 1924 Schwaerzer Apr. 21, 1925 Swenson Oct. 13, 1936 Manville Dec. 7, 1937 Stanley Aug. 22, 1939 Wassel Mar. 26, 1957 Davenport Feb. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy July 21, 1934 

